Filter Content
- Principal Message
- Condolences
- Religious Education
- Welcome Kindergarten
- Parent Information Nights
- Induction of School Leaders
- Medication
- Permission Notes (Walking Excursion and Photographs)
- New Student Information System — Compass (Student Absences)
- Aboriginal Education Assistants (AEA)
- Sporting News
- Sport Uniform Days
- 2019 School Fees
- P&F Annual General Meeting
- Holiday Reading Challenge
- SKOOLBAG Phone App
- Allergy Awareness
- Building Update
- School Safety Notice to Drivers
- School Pick-Up Zones
- Gifted Education Opportunities
- Happy Birthday
- Canteen Roster 4 Feb – 01 Mar
- Book Club
- Notices
- Attachments
Dear Parents/Carers
Welcome back to school. I trust that the holiday break was enjoyable and that you are excited about the year ahead. It has been a settled start to the new year, with lots of smiles, holiday stories as well as questions about the progress of our building project. My sincere thanks for your effort in ensuring that your children are wearing the correct school uniform and are equipped ready for the school. Our focus during the first days of school has been to revisit our non-negotiable expectations of being Respectful, Responsible and Safe and establish procedures and practices for our daily operation, ensuring a successful transition back to school for all children.
I would like to warmly welcome the following new staff members to our school community, Mrs Jenna Shelton (Specialist Learning Centre – Autism), Mrs Karen Gutierrez (Teacher Release), Miss Mel Whittaker (SSO - Gunyah) as well as Ms Angela Boyd-Skinner (Learning Support Teacher - Year 4) and Mrs Rachel Mackie (2R) who are both returning following parental leave.
A warm welcome also to the many new families who have commenced school at St John’s for the first time. While you may feel a little overwhelmed with all that comes with new beginnings, I’m confident that your experience will be positive and supportive. If at any time, you require clarification on any school-related matter, please don’t hesitate and contact the school office.
As you read this newsletter you will have noticed that we have a new digital format, known as Schoolzine. The benefit of the change is that it is now interactive, easier to read, includes a language translator and links to key newsletter items, our website, and twitter online presence as well as many other new features. I hope that you enjoy the many benefits of this new format and as always, your feedback is always welcome.
Yours sincerely
Andrew Heffernan (Principal)
On behalf of St John's Catholic Parish Primary School, staff, students and community we would like to express our condolences to Fr Francis and family members for the loss of his mother.
A simple and practical way that we as a school community can show our love and support for Fr Francis at this difficult time, is through our prayers.
I ask that you please keep Fr Francis and his family in your thoughts and prayers at this very difficult time.
May they know the peace and strength of God’s compassionate and consoling presence at this time of loss and sadness.
Eternal rest grant to her O’Lord, may she rest in peace. Amen.
Do all you can to assist and love one another.
(St Mary of the Cross MacKillop 28.1.1890)
PARISH SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM
An outline of the Parish Sacramental Program for 2019 has been sent home as a hard copy today to students in Years 3 and 6 (see below). All students in Years 3 and 6 are asked to indicate on the note whether they are intending to make one or more of the Sacraments this year and then return the slip to school as soon as possible. This helps greatly with our planning for the number of Masses/liturgies that are to take place. Please take particular note of all dates involved in each of the Sacraments. Enrolments for the Sacrament of Penance begin very early this year - February 16th.
COMING EVENTS
- WHOLE SCHOOL LITURGY TO BEGIN THE SCHOOL YEAR (INCLUDING THE INDUCTION OF OUR 2019 STUDENT LEADERS) – FEBRUARY 8, 9:30am
- FEAST OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES – FEBRUARY 11
- PARISH MASS – YEAR 6 ATTENDING – FEBRUARY 15, 9:30am
- RECONCILIATION (PENANCE) ENROLMENTS BEGIN – FEBRUARY 16 AND 17 (at all weekend Masses)
KINDER AND YEAR 6 WEEKEND MASS (WITH ANDREW CHINN) – FEBRUARY 24, 6pm
Once a term, we invite particular year groups to attend the Sunday 6 pm Mass. Andrew Chinn, a well-known singer and musician, attends this Mass, leading our singing with the children. We encourage all families to attend this Mass, particularly our Kinder and Year 6 families this term. Our school staff and parish catechists will also be commissioned at this Mass.
PARISH CELEBRATION OF THE EUCHARIST
A reminder of weekend Parish Mass times for St John the Evangelist, Dapto.
| Saturday Vigil 5.00pm | Sunday 9.30am |
| Sunday 7.30am | Sunday 6.00pm |
PRAYER INTENTIONS
We pray for all families in our school community who are in need of our prayers.
St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, pray for us.
St John the Evangelist, pray for us.
Kylie Crowe – Religious Education Coordinator
After completing their BEST Start Assessment this week, Kindergarten will arrive tomorrow for their first full day at ‘Big School’.
Starting school comes with many challenges, a new environment with new faces, new routines and expectations. It can be a little overwhelming at times! As the students settle into life at school, you are encouraged to continue to support this transition by making time for them to share their experiences, talking positively about school and keeping teachers informed about any changes to their normal routine.
Kindergarten parents are reminded that a Parent/Carer Information Night is planned for next Wednesday 13 February at 5:30 pm in the school hall. Also at our first award assembly for the year, Friday 15 February, Kindergarten will be welcomed by the school community and presented with a special certificate of welcome. Following the assembly, the Parents and Friends Association will be hosting a Welcome BBQ sausage sizzle, to which all parents/carers are warmly invited.
Wednesday 6 February
| Year 1 | 5:30 | School Hall |
| Year 3 | 6:10 | Year 3 Classrooms |
| Year 2 | 6:50 | School Hall |
Thursday 7 February
| Year 5 | 5:30 | Year 5 Classrooms |
| Year 4 | 6:10 | Year 4 Classrooms |
| Year 6 | 6:50 | Year 6 Classrooms |
Tuesday 12 February
| Gunyah | 4:30 | Gunyah 1 Classroom |
Wednesday 13 February
|
Kindergarten |
5:30 | School Hall |
On Friday 08 February, there will be a whole school Liturgy at 9:30 am at which the 2019 student leaders will be officially inducted. Morning tea will follow in the mini hall for the families of the 2019 leaders. An invitation was sent home last week to the families of the student leaders. Please RSVP by Wednesday 06 February for catering purposes. All parents and carers are warmly invited to attend the Liturgy in our parish Church.
Parents and reminded that in regards to the administration of medication at school, the Catholic Education Office policy states the following;
- A ‘Request to Administer Medication Form’ MUST be completed for all medication (prescription or Over-The-Counter).
- Prescription medication is to be provided to the school in the original container with the pharmacy label attached to the container.
- Action Plans (Asthma and Anaphylaxis) MUST be updated on an annual basis or following a medical episode, or as requested by the school.
- For medical conditions that meet the Student with Disability Criteria under Nationally Consistent Collection of Data definition and/or where there are safety concerns for the student regarding their health (such as diabetes, chronic asthma, epilepsy, cystic fibrosis) the school will engage the support of the Catholic Education Office to ensure that appropriate supports and plans are in place to meet the individual needs of the student.
General Walking Permission
A general walking permission note was sent home on Monday this week and is also available for download below. It is for local walking excursions, such as visiting Dapto Library and other school activities within the local community. Valid for the 2019 school year, parents and carers will be notified about any planned local excursion, but will not be required to return a signed permission note for each separate event or activity.
Photograph/Media Permission
In celebrating school events throughout the year, photographs are taken and used for the newsletter, website, twitter and in a variety of school and Diocesan publications. The task of contacting parents/carers for permission to use the photos following each event can be quite onerous, and as such, it has been decided to include an annual permission note available also for download below.
Please complete and return the signed permission notes before Friday 8 February.
Mrs Josephine Ball and Mr Mark Mongta will continue as our Aboriginal Education Assistants this year at St John’s. Working each Monday, they will continue to offer a range of cultural activities such as dancing, art and didgeridoo playing (boys), along with further immersion into the Aboriginal culture.
The school Swimming Carnival will be held on Thursday, 14 February. Attendance is compulsory for all Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 students. Entry is also open to Year 2 students who will be turning 8 this year. (they must be competent 50 metre swimmers)
Venue: Dapto Swimming Pool, Dapto
Date: Thursday, 14 February 2019
Cost: Included in your 2019 Sport Levy. Parents/carers/spectators will need to pay 60c entry fee
Transport: Walking to/from school or private transport (please indicate on permission note)
Start Time: First Race 100m freestyle – 8:30am Walkers depart school at 8:30am
Finish Time: 12:00pm
Uniform: Swimmers, sports uniform, school hat
Food: Recess, lunch and plenty of water CANTEEN FACILITIES available for parents and careers
Other: Sunscreen and something to sit on
Weather: In case of wet weather, a message will be placed on St John’s Skoolbag App
Parent Helpers: Your assistance on the day would be greatly appreciated. Please complete the helper note provided if you are able to assist.
Permission and entry forms are due this Friday, 8 February 2019
Carnival dates:
| St John's Swimming Carnival | 14 February |
| South Coast Swimming Carnival | 7 March |
| Primary Swimming Selection Trials | 11 March |
| St John's Cross Country Carnival | 5 April |
| St John's Athletics Carnival | 26 July |
| Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
| Years K, 2, 3 Red, Gunyah | Years 5, 6 & 3 Blue | Years 1, 3 Green, & 4 | K–6, Gunyah |
School Fee statements have been sent home this week and in a change from previous years, expenses that would normally be incurred during the year such as Life Education, excursions and sports have been included. The Diocese is delivering a new school financial management system and this change is necessary for its implementation. The intention is to simplify the process of collecting, counting and banking money for such school events throughout the year.
A copy of the Diocesan School Fee Management Policy and School Fee Agreement were also emailed to families on Tuesday; a copy of each is available on the school’s website for your convenience.
If you have not received your account, please contact the school office to request a copy. Accounts are due 30 days after the date of invoice unless you have either a School Fee Agreement OR Fee Concession arrangement in place.
DIOCESAN SCHOOL FEE MANAGEMENT POLICY
It is advisable that all parents/carers have knowledge of the Diocesan School Fee Management Policy. A Frequently Asked Questions document is also provided on the school’s website to assist families with interpretation.
SCHOOL FEE AGREEMENTS
Families who wish to take advantage of the flexibility of paying their school fees over the school year, rather than pay within 30 days, must have in place a current School Fee Agreement to advise their preferred method of school fee payment, amount and frequency. For your convenience, this Agreement has been emailed to you. Agreements are also accessible from the school’s administration office and school webpage.
Please note: If you have an existing School Fee Agreement you are required to provide an amended version as soon as possible to update your details. In the case that you are paying by Direct Debit or Centrepay, you may also need to provide an amended authority which will be lodged by the school on your behalf.
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The School Fee Agreement should be returned to the school office as soon as possible with any applicable payment authorities.
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Families who do not return agreements will be subject to full payment within 30 days.
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Methods of payment offered include: BPay; EFTPOS; Cash/Cheque; Credit Card; Centrepay and Direct Debit with the preferred method being BPay Payments – please refer to the School Fee Agreement for further information regarding each type of payment.
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Frequencies offered include: Weekly, fortnightly, monthly or intervals that suit the family budget.
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To determine your payment amount, an online ‘School Fee Calculator’ is available on the school’s website.
IF YOU HAVE AN EXISTING OR WISH TO APPLY FOR FEE CONCESSION
If your family requires consideration for Fee Concession due to financial hardship, it is necessary to submit an Application for Fee Concession, providing evidence of your financial situation and have an interview with the Principal. This process will be undertaken by the school annually. Parents/Carers should be assured that these situations will be treated with the utmost confidentiality, respect and empathy.
If you have an existing Fee Concession, we will contact you during the year to conduct an annual review.
Please do not hesitate to contact the school office if you require explanation or assistance in relation to school fee matters.
The P&F Annual General Meeting will be held in the Mini Hall on Tuesday 26 February at 7 pm. The primary purpose of the P&F is to provide an opportunity for parents to be involved in the school through social events, fundraising and support for school initiatives.
At the meeting, all positions will be declared vacant and an election will take place. If any parent wishes to nominate themselves or someone else for any of the positions, please complete the form (link below) and return it to the school office by Friday 22 February addressed to the Principal. I look forward to seeing you all at the meeting.
The St John’s Skoolbag App is a free App that can be downloaded to your smart device via the App store. Downloading the App will allow you to keep up to date with school news, check dates and upcoming events on the school calendar, read the school newsletter and receive alerts concerning last-minute cancellations and important messages. The App also links you to the school website, the school Oliver Library page and much more. It is truly the ultimate parent to school communication tool.
The Communication Centre on our school website (http://www.sjddow.catholic.edu.au) provides instructions on how to download the Skoolbag App on your iPhone, iPad or Android device.
Food allergies are a growing public concern and a condition that affects many of our students. As an allergy aware school, we are focused on reducing the risk of exposure to students, as exposure in some cases may result in life-threatening anaphylactic reactions.
Students with a food allergy may react to tactile (touch) exposure or inhalation exposure. Not every ingestion exposure will result in anaphylaxis, but the potential always exists. Whilst peanut allergy is the most likely cause, eight foods (peanut, tree nut, milk, egg, soy, wheat, fish and shellfish) account for the vast majority of total food allergies.
Therefore, no peanuts, peanut paste, peanut butter (including “dippers”), nuts, “Nutella” spread or nutty muesli bars are permitted within the school.
The school canteen does not sell nut products and families who supply home-baking (cakes) for birthdays are asked to provide a list of ingredients to assist teachers.
Our building project continues to be on track and during the holiday break, major demolition work took place. The two-storey building at the rear of the administration building was demolished, making way for a new grassed playground. It’s worth having a look at how much extra playground has been gained. Contractors have been working hard on the new building, in the very warm temperatures, preparing for a large concrete pour next week. At this stage, we are still planning for an August/September completion date. It is a very exciting time for our school!
All NSW school zones are sign-posted with regulatory signs that list the operating times of the school zones. I have included with the newsletter an overview of the School Zone Signage and the associated penalties for breaches.
For the safety of all, please ensure that you adhere to the signage and following the directions of our School Crossing Supervisor.
The increased use of car lines by parents and carers has prompted a reminder about our school procedures. To maintain the efficiency of the school pick-up zones, we request that family nameplates be displayed in cars as they approach the afternoon pick-up zone. Teachers on car lines will more efficiently be able to identify the vehicle directing the children safely to the correct vehicle. The nameplate can be attached to the sun visor of your car or placed on the dash and held up so as to be seen by the teachers who will, in turn, announce the family name.
To request a family nameplate, parents and carers are invited to complete the online form by accessing the following link https://goo.gl/forms/L1KuKhqKB9Kj49wq1
LEARNING LABS THIS APRIL SCHOOL HOLIDAYS!
Learning Labs is excited to announce that these April school holidays, we will be delivering academic and creative arts workshops at Wollongong, Loftus and Batemans Bay campuses of Wollongong University for students from Year 1-Year 6.
Workshops are either 1 or 2 days in length and designed for motivated and passionate learners.
Please go to uow.info/learninglabs to learn more information about what will be held at each campus and to apply.
Applications close 25 February, 2019. Workshops fill up fast so get in quick!
To the following students who have celebrated their birthday during January and those celebrating their birthday in February. We hope they had/have a great day.
| Kinder | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Year 6 |
| Mila G | Shreya N | Jordan VDK | Phoebe N | Oliver G | Lachlan H | Jaxon K |
| Noah M | James M | Michael W | Samuel H | Nayana J | Roman H | Lucy S |
| Mason B | Layla L | Destiny A | Claire P | Blake H | Charli S C | Riley W |
| Avah N | Maria A | Bowen L | Levi McE | Carmen T | Kevin P | Brooklyn L |
| Ruby M | Gianni O | Nicholas F | Georgina K | Jake S | Sienna C | Hudson R |
| Porsha B | Bronte B | Iliyah NL | Methembe M | Curtis McW | Jacob P | Andrey M |
| Marli L | Victoria S | Sam W | Beau L | Isabella M | Jett N | |
| Harper P | Levi M | Cooper T | Natasha P | Flynn C | ||
| Luke T | Chloe L | Luke M | Indi T | Izaac N | ||
| Matthew C | Elliot B | Kaylee M | Ethan J | Johan T | ||
| Everly DG | Ryan Y | Rhys Drury | Anna A | Tylar-John M | ||
| Ellise M | Layla B | Zahra N | Kye S | |||
| Rohan G | Jacob V | |||||
| Ruby H | Zoey V M | |||||
| Kohen B | ||||||
| Shayla B | ||||||
| Ruby O |
Dear Parents/Carers,
The best gift any parent can give a child is the love of books and the joy and benefits of independent reading for fun. Children who read at home, or are read to, have a head start on reading success in school.
Our school is participating in Scholastic Book Club this year. Up to twice a term, during the school year, we will send home a Club catalogue with a different selection of books offered for all ages.
You’ll find award-winning books and bestsellers, as well as old and new favourites. We recommend them because the books span a wide range of children’s reading levels and interests and because they are inexpensive (some books cost as little as $2).
It is easy to order. The Book Club LOOP platform for parents allows you to pay by credit card. Your child’s order is submitted directly to school safe and sound and the books will be delivered to class. You can place your child’s order at scholastic.com.au/LOOP or using the LOOP app, which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.
Each order helps earn free books and teaching materials for our classrooms, however there is never any obligation to order. We know of no better way to encourage reading than to allow children to choose the books they want to read.
Sincerely,
Book Club Organisers
AVONDALE JRLC — 8 February, 4:30 pm
Dandaloo Sporting Fields, Kanahooka Road
Come and try Rugby League — Boys and Girls
- Information and Rego BBQ
- Registration includes:
- Training Tee
- Shorts
- Playing Shorts
- Socks
- Jersey
If you require any further information please contact Paul 0418 423 734.
Figtree Physie
Dance your way to fitness
All styles of dance rolled into one for girls aged 2 years — Ladies.
6/1-5 Industrial Road, Unanderra
figtreephysicalculture@gmail.com
http://www.figtreephysie.com